As we age, the permanent teeth in our mouths begin to fall out. The first dentures are believed to have been created around 700 BC in Italy and were made from elephant ivory. Now there are various types of dentures and implants used to replace natural teeth. But in the future, they may be replaced with regrown teeth.
Pamela Yelick and Weibo Zhang, two researchers from Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston, have successfully grown human teeth in pig jaws. Human tooth cells were combined with pig tooth cells in the laboratory before being implanted in the pig jaws. After four months, tooth-like structures were seen growing in the jaws.
At this point, the growth process is not yet complete enough for it to look like teeth, but it is an encouraging result for missing human teeth to be replaced with regrown teeth. Real teeth last longer than implants and dentures and are more natural.
Last year, Japanese scientists began clinical trials on humans for a drug that promotes tooth growth. This is done by blocking the uterine sensitization associated gene-1 (USAG-1) gene, which stops the production of new teeth in the human jaw. No pigs were involved and the researchers hope it could be offered to the public as early as 2030.